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12/26/13 - CBSSPORTS.COM ALL-AMERICANS: FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE AS NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS: LB - Khalil Mack, Sr., Buffalo: Scouts don't mind investing high picks in relatively small school prospects as long they dominate at the lower level. With an FBS record 75 tackles for loss and 16 forced fumbles over his career, the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and Jack Lambert Linebacker of the Year recipient certainly established himself as a dominant presence. Athletic, instinctive and an explosive hitter, Mack may only need a strong showing against top competition at the Senior Bowl to assure a spot in the top half of the first round. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com

Most of the country still has not heard about Mack's ascension to the top of the MAC, but they will soon learn about him when he is drafted very early in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Mack is a highly intelligent, athletic and instinctive player with almost no flaws in his game, whether he is defending the run or pass. Elite speed. Reads and reacts very quickly and can get up to speed rapidly to make plays. Seems to be one step ahead and one beat faster than every other defender. Experience all over the front seven and could feasibly play any LB spot in 4-3 or 3-4. Can take on blockers very well and dislodge himself through use of great use of hands. Rips and slides into open space well in traffic.

Versatile coverage abilities. Can man up or face up TEs with ease. Could go up against Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski with equaled athleticism and strength. Still working on man coverage skills, which is one area he'll need improvement. Rushes the passer well and stays relentless when battling blockers one-on-one.

Works really hard in pursuit. Relentless on the backside of a play. Looks to get in the mix every play. Unreal range against the run. Quick and relatively agile. Foot speed is very good.

We would have no shot at Mack, but I have seen that dude play and practice being from the area and wow. What an animal. He will be good in the pros. Also I would not mind drafting Tre Mason if he is available later on.

Gilbert has above-average height for a corner and displays nice fluidity in his lower half. Acknowledged his focus took a step back after a lackluster junior season and admitted he had something to prove as a senior.

Long arms. Above-average ability to turn and quickly locate the ball. Good instincts. Vulnerable to double moves given his aggressive, ball-hawking style of play. Quick to read and react. Not much wasted motion/steps when changing directions. Seems to prefer to play press and doesn't mind arm fighting downfield. Pretty straight line speed (4.5 40). Physical tackler. Sheds blocks with ease. Must improve discipline when setting the edge.

01/01/14 - PLAYERS TO WATCH: Baylor S Ahmad Dixon is a lightning rod for controversy and a catalyst for the Bears. He was suspended for the first half of the Texas game after being ejected in the second half against TCU for targeting. Once he returned to the Texas game, the Bears went on a 17-0 surge that helped put away the Longhorns. But Dixon drew a celebration penalty that negated K.J. Morton's touchdown on an interception return. - The Sports Xchange
12/12/13 - 2013 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-BIG 12 SECOND TEAM: Defensive back Ahmad Dixon, Baylor, 6-0, 205, Sr., Waco, Texas,...Dixon ranked 24th in the league in tackles per game (5.8). - Baylor football

Overview
Born and raised in Waco, Dixon had a roller coaster recruitment that included commitments to Texas and Tennessee before he finally decided to stay home and attend Baylor. He started two seasons at the team's nickel "Bear" position, which is a hybrid LB/S role, but moved to safety for his senior year in 2013.

Baylor is known for its explosive offensive attack, but the Bears have some playmakers on defense as well, most notably Dixon, who patrols the entire field.

Dixon might be the top SS prospect for the 2014 Draft. (11/14/13)
Analysis
Strengths: Extremely fast downhill and loves to get his hands dirty in the run game, striking through his target with strong hands to finish. Dixon has an accurate first step with the quickness and range to play both sidelines with an alert, active mentality. Displays the feet and overall body coordination to hold up on an island if needed. Excellent size/speed athlete with the fluidity and natural speed to cover the entire field, making plays behind the line of scrimmage and in the deep half of the fieldWorks hard to shed blocks to make open-field stops and is a physical tackler. He is confident in coverage to jump routes and aggressively go after the ball.

Weaknesses: He still needs some technique and recognition work when it comes to coverage. Needs to consistently wrap up and not just hit his target with body shots.

12/11/13 - 2013 ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM (COACHES): DB - Nickoe Whitley, Mississippi State...Whitley made two of the biggest defensive plays for the Bulldogs all season with a pair of forced fumbles. He halted a potential game-winning drive by Arkansas and ended the Egg Bowl by jarring the ball away from Bo Wallace. He was tabbed the Dec. 2 Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week following his Egg Bowl heroics. A native of Jackson, Miss., Whitley is the FBS active leader in career interceptions with 15 and owns 229 career tackles. - Mississippi State football
12/10/13 - 2013 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-SEC HONORABLE MENTION: Nickoe Whitley, S, Mississippi St., 6-1, 205, Sr.,...Whitley made two of the biggest defensive plays for the Bulldogs all season with a pair of forced fumbles. He halted a potential game-winning drive by Arkansas and ended the Egg Bowl by jarring the ball away from Bo Wallace. He was tabbed the Dec. 2 Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week following his Egg Bowl heroics. A native of Jackson, Miss., Whitley is the FBS active leader in career interceptions with 15 and owns 229 career tackles.

He also excelled against then No. 1 Alabama with two touchdowns-saving tackles, chasing down T.J. Yeldon at the MSU 28-yard line during the Crimson Tide’s final drive of the opening half and breaking up a pass in the end zone on the Crimson Tide’s first play of the fourth quarter. - Mississippi State football

• Despite injuries, managed to accumulate nearly four years of SEC starting experience.
• Very tough; tore his ACL in the third week of 2013 and somehow finished the year.
• Possesses a prototypical combination of height and bulk for an NFL free safety.
• Overall style of play may make him better suited to working in-the-box at the next level.
• Has lined up as a deep safety, in the slot, and as essentially a linebacker in college.
• Plays with a physical, aggressive, nasty on-field demeanor coaches may appreciate.
• Capable of lining up ballcarriers and making some big hits, has forced a few fumbles.
• Showcases soft hands; has recorded three or more interceptions in every season.
• Temperament and physicality appear well-suited to a special teams role in the pros.

NEGATIVES:

• Torn ACL will likely prevent him from working out, create a medical question mark.
• Also ruptured his Achilles’ in 2011, another cause for concern requiring investigation.
• Adequate range in deep coverage but doesn’t have particularly impressive athleticism.
• Aggressiveness can frequently be exploited via play fakes and misdirection plays.
• Not exactly the type of patient free safety teams want as their last line of defense.
• For every big play he makes for his own team, he enables one or two from opponents.
• Also commits a few too many penalties, seemingly has trouble maintaining composure.

SUMMARY:

Whitley’s size, physicality, and soft hands are characteristic of a quality safety, but despite having four years of starting experience under his belt, his aggressiveness and impatience can be exploited too easily to feel comfortable letting him see the field on defense without making some major strides. To compound matters, he tore his Achilles’ in 2011 and ACL in 2013, with the latter injury potentially slowing a safety whose speed was already underwhelming to begin with. At this point, he is a defensive liability with serious health concerns.

Bortles is a fourth-year junior and a two-year starter at UCF. Coming out of high school he was a three-star recruit who had offers from schools such as Purdue, Western Kentucky, and Colorado State. He has excellent size at about 6’4 – 230 to go along with good athleticism and play speed. At the Combine, he should run in the 4.7 area. He plays in a multi-offense and plays from both under center and in the spread. The Central Florida scheme is closer to a pro-style offense than many other college offenses. Bortles had good production this year, completing 259 of 382 passes for 3581 yards, 25 TDs, and nine interceptions. His completion percentage was just under 68%, but I don’t put a lot of stock into that stat at the college level. I feel ball placement is a far better indicator of a college quarterback's accuracy because of how wide open many college receivers are.

When playing from under center, Bortles can set up fairly quickly. He has a good feel for pass rushers, but he will often run out of the pocket when he is pressured instead of stepping up into the pocket. He shows he can go through a progression and find the open receiver, but there are also times when he will stare down his primary receiver. While he can go through a progression, you seldom see him look off a receiver and come back to another. He flashes making some really good throws, showing good timing, and getting good zip on the ball. He also has a lot of throws where his timing is off and he doesn’t set his feet. You see a lot of throws where he is not in proper balance. I feel his decision making is inconsistent. He is at his best against weaker opponents and when he isn’t pressured, but in games like South Carolina, when the competition is very good, he can struggle and make poor decisions. His throwing motion and release quickness are adequate. When you watch enough tape, you can see that he will change his throwing motion at times. He doesn’t have a really quick release. There are guys who make a decision, and the ball is out of their hand instantly. That isn’t the case with Bortles, and it allows DBs to get a jump on the ball (see So. Carolina)

Bortles' best throws are on the shorter passes (15 yards and less). The further downfield he throws, the less accurate he becomes. His ability to throw the deep ball is average at best. Many of his longer plays, that I saw, were actually shorter passes with long runs after the catch. He has good arm strength, but he does not have a cannon. While he can throw a tight ball, he also throws a lot of balls that “flutter”.

Bortles has good running skills. He is not going to remind anyone of “Johnny Football” with his run skills but they are good enough. While he is not elusive, he is strong and can find an open lane.

I am not going to deny that this player has talent, but I do feel that he would have been better served staying in college and developing his game. He is far from being ready to come into the NFL and play. There is too much inconsistency in his overall game. I question if he can become an eventual starter and win in the NFL. That doesn’t mean he won’t start for whoever drafts him, but as we all have seen the last five to six years, there have been MANY quarterbacks drafted with high hopes who haven’t lived up to expectations. Right now, I would take Bridgewater, Manziel, McCarron, Derek Carr, David Fales and Brett Smith before I would take Bortles. I feel all of them are better passers and better prepared to play in the NFL.

Marion Grice possesses average overall size for the running back position…His build is on the slender side, but he carries his weight well and runs bigger than his measureables suggest…Grice is equally effective as an inside and outside runner, displaying the necessary patience to let his blocks develop in front of him…Possesses a natural feel as a runner, identifying the hole and cutback lanes quickly…Has good feet for the position. He takes efficient and effective steps and is quick enough to make a man miss for extra yardage…Grice has enough flexibility in his hips to change direction on an adequate level and presents with deceptive wiggle…Excels in the passing game, displaying good route running skills and natural, soft hands…He is a willing and adequate blocker in pass protection…Added value in the return game on kickoff, as he fields kicks cleanly and gets upfield in a hurry.

Grice needs to become more consistent running behind his pads/lowering his pads…At times he can be too patient and fails to take the yardage that is in front of him…Doesn’t possess the long speed needed to be a consistent big play threat…Ended the season with a mysterious lower leg injury that has sidelined him for more than one game.

On the next level, Marion Grice projects as a 3-down back that will offer offenses versatility as a dual threat out of the backfield. His running style suggests success in the NFL, as he is a natural with the ball in his hands. He’s not going to wow you with highlight reel runs, but much like Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, Grice does the little things well at the running back position. His ability to allow his linemen to reach their assignment and react off of the block is a predictor for success in the pros. And while he’s not flashy, he does have the necessary athleticism that will allow him to compete against NFL defenders. Grice is going to be one of the first running backs selected in May as a result of his running, receiving and return ability and will challenge for a big role as a rookie. It wouldn’t surprise me if Grice is a starting running back in the NFL before his rookie season is completed.